spathe
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spathe
1775–85; < Latin spatha < Greek spáthē blade, sword, stem; cf. spade 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pod-like leaf called a spathe is slightly rounder and paler than the darker, flatter blades of seagrass.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The real show starts when the enormous outer layer called a spathe opens up, revealing a deep reddish interior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Its hoodlike structure is called a spathe, which envelopes a bulb-shaped structure called the spadix, a fleshy knob dotted by dozens of tiny, petal-less yellow flowers.
From Salon ● May 27, 2025
The tiny white flowers within the spathe are an important food source for the first pollinators of the year.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2022
Leaves more or less sagittate; spathe green Arrow Arum, Peltandra virginica.
From The Plants of Michigan Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State by Henry Allan Gleason
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
